It was long and it had 2 negatives going in; vampires and a cliff-hanger ending. However, Harkness managed to draw me in despite that. Diana Bishop is the descendant of a powerful line of witches who is trying to live a normal human life and avoid using her magic. During her research in alchemical history she unearths an ancient enchanted manuscript at the Bodleian Library. This discovery draws all the other magical beings to her, starting with a vampire named Matthew Clairmont. Everyone wants the book. Diana and Matthew are drawn to each other as well as the mystery and as their feelings deepen they run into problems because of this inter-species attraction. Lots of pressure, lots of drama, research into the history and knowledge of science and magic. Gave me a little of the feel of Byatt's Possession. Still not a fave of vampires and cliff-hangers, but a very good story.

After second reading was not as put off by the ending. Some of the drama and magical convolutions were easier to follow. Might actually look to read volume two. ( )

Great concept and well-written. Harkness does fall into the trap of flooding the reader with extraneous details about surroundings, unnecessary characters, and minutiae but it's not enough to turn me away from the story. ( )

I read this book as a kid, then watched the first season of the show, then happened upon this book again while wandering through the library and thought I'd give it another read. On this second read as an adult, I was so very impressed with the history woven into this story. Unfortunately, the relationship between Matthew and Diana left a bit to be desired. Their boundless devotion to each other without the act that would consummate their marriage, it just doesn't add up. You can't be apart for like more than a day without a panic attack but let's take things slow? It feels a bit too "purity culture" for a setting that is supposed to be mostly contemporary. With what we've been given n terms of their personalities, I can't make any sense of it. Regardless, I'm definitely reading the next book. The world is unique enough to keep my interest. Hopefully things will fall in line between those two more plot points are revealed. ( )

Sometimes when I go out of my reading comfort zone I learn something new, find a new favorite author, or find myself proven wrong about a misguided bias I held. Other times, I smack my head, growl, and curse myself for wasting so much time. This was one of those cases...

This book seems to contain everything but the kitchen sink: witches, demons, vampires, time travel, inter-species romance, complex DNA sequencing, alchemy, charmed manuscripts, math, secret socities, yoga, haunted houses, European history, and much (MUCH) more. There is so much going on the author needn't worry about the quality of the writing as readers are simply trying to just keep track of it all. It's simultaneously [b:Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone|3|Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)|J.K. Rowling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474154022s/3.jpg|4640799], [b:Outlander|10964|Outlander (Outlander, #1)|Diana Gabaldon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1402600310s/10964.jpg|2489796],[a:Dan Brown|630|Dan Brown|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1399396714p2/630.jpg] and [a:Ken Follett|3447|Ken Follett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480592356p2/3447.jpg]. They're all fine on their own, but mixed together it's quite a lot to digest.

I suppose there are a few more subjects, characters, and concepts the author could introduce: werevolves, aliens, dentistry, magic carpets, the global financial system, etc. There are two more books in this series (which I won't be reading) so perhaps the author does get to these... ( )

love story tra strega(storica) e vampiro(genetista) e guerra interspecie ( )

So far, I'm drawn into this book - I look forward to getting back to Diana and Matthew every night to see what they are doing now. I'm thankful it's a trilogy. I haven't been so quickly drawn into a world since I read the Outlander series 10 years ago. ( )

Found it hard to put this book down. I didn't realise it also had vampires in it, which initially made me groan inwardly (goddamn Twilight and its shiny, wooden vampires) especially when it became clear that this would be, in part, a love story. However, I persevered, and I'm glad I did.

Looking forward to the next instalment. ( )

This book was recommended to me by a parent of a student many years ago. I've had it on a list all of this time and finally listened to it.

The book was not what I was expecting. It's very scientific with history wrapped within. I don't feel the chemistry between the two characters, but that's not bothering me. Perhaps it's because I'm listening instead of reading? Nonetheless, I listened intently until finishing and very much look forward to listening to the second book.

As an English teacher, I enjoy the use of the Bishop family after having taught The Crucial so many times. I also like that vampires can be out in the sun and have families--those they've turned. I like that the demons, vampires, and witches are all coming together and forming their own family. I like that the vampires are not evil--although they are definitely capable of violence. ( )

Re-Read January 2021: I give another star to this book (originally rated 3 stars, now 4 stars).
I did not appreciate how well-written this book is upon first read. I studied history so I suppose the main character's profession interests me (she studied the History of Science) which makes the book all the more enjoyable.

If you enjoy slow-burn paranormal romance fantasy some fun historical fiction you'll enjoy this read. Maybe later in the year I will re-read books 2 & 3 :) ( )

Brutal quantities of borderline-abusive heterosexual kink in this otherwise inoffensive disposable urban fantasy. I know how common "strong independent woman falls for overprotective, controlling man and likes it" kinks are among straight people, but y'all need to negotiate that shit properly.

I was going to see if I could think of anything else to say about this book, but... no, not really.

Not great sequence of events:

0. main character puts up token resistance to getting Protected and Taken Care Of,
1. main character get kidnapped,
2. the kidnapper points out all the ways her special new instahusband is abusive and controlling,
3. you're cheering on the kidnapper and hoping this is a turning point in the story/relationship,
4. the kidnapper proceeds to torture main character near unto death,
5. main character spends the rest of the book getting PROTECTED and TAKEN CARE OF but now she's so traumatized she appreciates it.

A few points returned for ~witchy maiden aunts~ who are explicitly witches and explicitly married to each other? IDK, that's a trope I can get behind.

ALSO ALSO: [complaints about fantasy political systems] global government of tens of millions by an unelected board of 9 people (9!!) is a weird system of government and a very weird thing to replicate when you plot to overthrow the existing government. ( )

Historical fiction meets paranormal romance. Novels about vampires, witches, and demons are generally not my thing, but I enjoyed this book a great deal. The story is imaginative and detailed, with smart writing. I intend to read the next two books in the trilogy to follow the story of witch Diana Bishop and vampire Matthew Montclair and their families. ( )

Very much a Mary Sue, though not as bad as in Twilight. Probably because there is intelligent discussions in it. Curious how this plays out in the subsequent books. ( )

Love the concept of creatures living among us. Like the mystery of the manuscript and the coming war. I’d be ok with the romance if it had been more earned. My general pet peeve of romance novels is that there’s too much love at first sight stuff and this seems to take that to a whole new level. Crazy stuff happens on this novel and all of it in less than a month! Give this too me on a longer timeline and maybe I’d feel more invested.

I am intrigued enough by the central mystery that I put book 2 on hold at the library but I’m really not convinced that I will read the full series. ( )

This is an amazing book and I enjoyed every word. I will find it hard to wait for the second one. The characters are well "drawn" and the story captivating. I had a hard time leaving the book to do other things. ( )

This book has serious pacing issues, there were moments that were far too descriptive. I get talking about wine and tea at the beginning as part of the interests of the characters but at some point there's imminent danger and we are still talking about wine? Who cares??? It's a 500 page book and I swear you could edit out about 150 pages on just wine and tea.

Overall I'm interested in the plot, and the world the author built, I'm having a bit of a struggle charing about Diana. It also doesn't seem to make sense the extent of keeping secrets that Matthew goes to, there are many points in time where it seems ridiculous that he has kept something from her and it's actually detrimental to the goal they're trying to achieve together. I understood it at first when they were getting to know each other and they didn't quite trust each other yet but once they've proclaimed they love each other??? Why wouldn't he tell her where they were going for example, it seems like it would be better to prepare.

I'm hoping the next book improves on some of this. ( )

I quit this book because I don't like books where the main character man is an alpha boss jerk and the supposed adult lady is just fine with it. Lady, you are named after the virgin goddess of the hunt, take some initiative and stand up for yourself. I do not care that you are in love with his dreamy eyes and dark secrets. I do not care if he has your best interests at heart, that dude snuck into your apartment and watched you sleep. THIS IS TWILIGHT, which is not OK with me. Also, who wears a turtleneck as a sexy fashion statement? NO ONE! ( )

Diana, a witch who avoids using magic, is studying alchemical history when she finds an old book covered in magic; she returns the book to the library archives, but witches, vampires, and demons are all hunting it, some bringing danger for Diana, and others. Especially ancient vampire Matthew. Who wants to know what is in the book as much as he wants to know Diana which in turn makes for a good story. Romance, supernatural, science, and history combined in an adventure story that makes the 600 pages just race by. I loved the relationship between Diana and Matthew and look forward to what happens next. I have started the show and prefer Mathew in the book versus the way he is portrayed in the show. The book is not a traditional romance but rather feels the story marries the supernatural and scientific as the story is based on Matthew's investigation of the scientific origins and perhaps extinction of the supernatural "species". All the scientific investigations are combined with Diana's interest in history so this is really a book that requires lots of thoughtfulness and time. -- and there is a lot of adventure as well. While I love the main characters, I will say that the supporting cast of characters is well done and well developed with lots of depth for example I love Mathews Mom and Diana’s aunts. I know that the whole vampire, witch, demon thing has been done, done, and overdone throughout the years…. however, it is the strong characters and premise around the book that make this series for me. I cannot make the comparison like some readers that this is Harry Potter and Twilight I just do not see it at all. I love the setting and, the plot keeps you turning pages. This is day two of my snow day and, I have finished seven books and, the second in this series is being listened to as I write this. I am pleasantly surprised and slightly addicted to the story and writing style. ( )

I'm not even a full chapter into this and it's boring the crap out of me. Pass. ( )

Thoroughly pedestrian and contrived. ( )

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. There were things that I liked and things that I didn't but I can see the potential as the series continues and it did keep me entertained so for that I'm giving it 3.5 stars. WARNING: Some minor SPOILERS BELOW!!!

The things I didn't like:

1. Insta-love. I thought insta-love stories were a YA thing (given the ages of the characters which makes sense) but apparently adult novels too suffer from the insta-love trend. Remember they've only known each other for 3 weeks. 3 WEEKS! Yet they're already so passionately in love and married? Really? I'm sorry but that's ridiculous.

2. Diana's character. Now I understand why Diana didn't want to use her powers and I understand her lack of control of her powers but damn for a powerful witch with all these rare powers, she's kind of lame. I'm hoping we'll see her become the powerful bad-ass witch she should be by the end of this series (this is one of things I meant when I said I see the potential in this series). I can see how this is setting up for her to transform into this super witch, especially with what happens towards the end, I just wish she didn't have to start off so lame. The scene with Satu from the congregation, I kept wanting Diana to protect herself somehow or fight back and she didn't do anything! She waited to be rescued! No! I like my witches strong, powerful, and bad-ass and NOT needing to be rescued by anyone, think Bonnie Bennett from Vampire Diaries, love her. Now I'm not saying she can't be at a disadvantage or not have any help, I'm totally fine with her having help BUT I expect her to at least try to fight back, not play the damsel in distress.

3. Pacing and needless information. Now I will say I was drawn in at the beginning of this book, you've got a mysterious manuscript, a vampire trying to get close to a witch, and people that are after the main character for reasons we don't know why yet. But then as the book went on it began to drag a lot. Not much happens except for yoga and running and hiding (or more accurately trying to hide but not succeeding) from the congregation. The book doesn't start to pick up again till after Diana has been kidnapped. Also there's a lot of backstory for a lot of the characters that I don't need to know. For example Juliette, she was in this book for about 5 min so I really don't care to know her history with Matthew. I could easily just think of her as an expendable minion of the congregation and I'd be fine with that, like I said she isn't in here long, few pages not even a whole chapter. There's just a lot stuff that could have been cut out. More does not necessarily mean better.

4. Matthew. I know he warns us that he's over protective but he just got on my nerves. I mean, damn why don't you just breathe for her too? I know she hasn't figured out her powers yet but him hovering over her like she's a China doll doesn't help. Also, he doesn't do a very good job at convincing me he's this big, scary, dangerous creature. I'm sorry but yoga and geeking out over science and DNA doesn't equate to scary and dangerous to me. Yeah I know he's a vampire, a predator and killer but he doesn't scare me, just really annoys me.

Those were the main issues I had with this book, now onto what I did like.

Like I said before, the beginning drew me in and then it picked up again towards the end. There were a lot of twists and reveals and I always love a good unexpected twist. The plot is complex and there are a lot of subplots woven in and I'm really interested to see how it all plays out. Because the plot is so complex and there's a lot of subplots, it can get confusing at times but I want to see how they all fit together. I'm definitely excited about the different time periods and finding out what happens with that. I can't really say what else I liked without getting into major spoilers but like I said, I see the potential and I'm excited to see where this series goes. ( )

It had a solid start that hooked me in and I was getting more and more involved in the story excited to see where it led, but for me the story really fell short with the lack of world building. The characters were cool and I liked them but their history, how they worked, and their motives for why they do what they do all fell short for me. I was excited to learn more about how magic would unfold and what makes this world unique and learn how magic works but it’s all just pretty vague without anything interesting going on. Im sure the following books will pick up but I did not enjoy it enough to continue the series. ( )

This was a fun easy read. ( )

Ok, I’ll be honest. I actually didn’t want to like this book. I wanted it to be a Twilight clone, with an annoying bossy vampire and a characterless lady protagonist. And in some ways, it is.

I did get annoyed with Matthew being being a big bossy bully, and with him being impossibly handsome and attractive all the time. I did get annoyed with everyone treating Diana like a helpless kid and she just leaning back and letting people bathe her and feed her and whatever.

I did not learn anything useful from this book, I did not change, it never profoundly moved me in any way. But still I read it, and kept reading it, laughing at the more humorous parts, shaking my head at the annoying parts, picking it up whenever I was free to.

I also started reading the second book in the series as soon as I finished this. So yeah. What can I say, apparently I do like it. Quite a lot. ( )

To be honest I felt the beginning of this one took a while for me to get into it. I wasn't sure how the relationships with the characters were going to flesh out and was worried. However, by the end of the book I was enthralled with not only the relationships but the characters themselves.

I really am tempted to watch the TV series; however, I felt from the trailer it was a bit more serious and might be missing some of the more lighthearted moments from this book. Which honestly I think those moments where what made me love this book so much. I can't wait to continue this series! ( )

an excellent book with the usual suspects (vampires, witches and Fae) but done with a wonderful twist. it started off a little slow for me but by the second half i was racing through, dreading when it would be over. i was actually mad for a few minutes when i was done and found out that the sequel wasn't even out yet! i promptly pre-ordered it as soon as it was available and plan to start in with relish as soon as it's delivered. i highly recommend it to fans of the supernatural thriller who are getting a little bored with the same old same old. ( )